Chapter 24: Swift and Decisive Part 1

He looked quite spirited…

As soon as Tan Jing said this, He Siheng turned as red as a shrimp boiled in hot water.

“This… this is just a normal physiological reaction after exercise!” he argued desperately.

Tan Jing’s thin lips curved slightly as he echoed along, “It’s pretty normal.”

It was clearly agreement, yet it sounded so off no matter how He Siheng heard it.

He Siheng couldn’t bear to stay on him a moment longer and struggled out of his arms. “Put me down right now!”

“Actually, I don’t mind.”

“…Tan Jing!!!”

The little cat had been teased into full fluff, and any more prodding might lead to scratches. Tan Jing finally stopped teasing him, released his arms, and set him down.

He turned around, his dark eyes scanning He Siheng up and down, his gaze lingering ambiguously on that very spirited spot of He Siheng’s. He raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

He Siheng’s scalp tingled under that look. He subconsciously wanted to cover himself but realized he had nothing to use. Irritated, he snapped, “Turn around!”

Tan Jing chuckled lowly and turned his back, shrugging off his jacket and handing it over without looking.

He Siheng snatched it unceremoniously and quickly wrapped it around his waist. “I’m not going to the Medical Office. I’m going home.”

He wasn’t negotiating; he was declaring. With that, he headed toward the school gate. Tan Jing followed helplessly, pulling out his phone to book a ride online.

At the school gate, He Siheng raised his hand to hail a taxi, but Tan Jing grabbed his arm.

He Siheng glared at him irritably. “What are you doing?”

Tan Jing replied, “Your pheromones are already leaking out. I booked a Beta ride-share.”

As he spoke, a black sedan pulled up. Tan Jing waved it over, and it stopped slowly in front of them. He Siheng was reluctant but had no choice but to get in.

He was on the verge of his heat. The scent blocker was in the jacket pocket, and the jacket was with Zhou Yu—he had no way to mask his scent. Besides, pheromones leaking during heat couldn’t be covered for long even with a scent blocker. If he hailed a random taxi and the driver was an Alpha, it would spell big trouble.

If he lost control mid-heat, he’d need Tan Jing’s pheromones to soothe him. But if the driver was an Omega, that would be a huge problem too. So booking a Beta ride-share was the smartest, safest choice right now.

The jerk’s being thoughtful for once, He Siheng grumbled inwardly. He slid into the back seat, turned his head to stare out the window, and presented Tan Jing with the sulky back of his head.

The streetscape receded outside the window. In the glass reflection, He Siheng suddenly caught Tan Jing facing him, staring unblinkingly with an ambiguous curve to his lips.

Their gazes met in the reflection, and He Siheng bristled instantly. “Don’t look at me!”

Tan Jing didn’t move, meeting his eyes calmly through the glass. “I need to monitor your heat symptoms to prevent you from losing control.”

His reasoning was perfectly sound, but He Siheng refused to accept it. “Still, don’t look at me.”

After a pause, he added grudgingly, “I can still hold on right now.”

The driver glanced at them in the rearview mirror. One had flushed cheeks, seemingly an Omega on the brink of heat; the other wore a school uniform and looked every bit the Alpha. He formed his own conclusion. “You two lovebirds fighting?”

He Siheng shot back immediately, “We’re not lovers.”

Tan Jing chuckled too. “We’re not fighting.”

The driver was fully convinced of his first guess and advised them earnestly like an elder. “You young folks are just too hot-headed. Whatever the issue, sit down and talk it out calmly.”

“You two are both so good-looking, students from South-North Middle School too. Your kids in the future are sure to be smart and beautiful.”

The driver wasn’t just nosy; he cared about the national birth plan.

He Siheng nearly boiled over with frustration. How does this guy not get it? Future kids? As if. If anyone’s giving birth, it’s Tan Jing.

Bah, who wants kids with Tan Jing!

He Siheng refuted again, “We’re really not lovers.”

But the driver took it as a lovers’ spat and didn’t buy it. He even urged Tan Jing to say some sweet words to coax him.

Tan Jing scooted closer to He Siheng, arm draping behind his shoulders as he cooed softly, “Be good, don’t be mad.”

He Siheng whipped his head around with a what the hell expression. You’re actually playing along with the driver?

As if reading his urge to curse, Tan Jing chuckled lowly. Before He Siheng could snap, he turned serious in a second, lowering his voice. “Your face is flushing badly now. It looks like early heat symptoms. I’ll release a bit of pheromones to soothe you.”

He Siheng had wanted to refuse but couldn’t. Was he supposed to say his flush wasn’t from heat?

Moreover, right after Tan Jing said it, he released a trace of pheromones. The scent hit, and He Siheng’s body instinctively quieted. He accepted the Alpha’s soothing without thinking.

Half-willing, half-resigned, his tense body gradually relaxed, leaning into the boy’s strong, slender arm.

But he clung to one last bit of stubbornness.

He Siheng closed his eyes, desperately suppressing the pheromones leaking due to the impending heat, trying to delay the symptoms as long as possible.

Because of that stubbornness, he never looked up—and thus missed the subtle upturn of the lips beside him.

The driver glanced in the rearview again and said approvingly, “That’s more like it. So sweet together.”

“…”

He Siheng gritted his teeth. He endured.

The moment the car stopped at his home, He Siheng flung the door open and bolted out, unwilling to spend another second with the oblivious driver.

Tan Jing, unhurried, reminded the driver before getting out to open the windows and air out the car for at least ten minutes before the next passenger, lest the residual pheromones bother anyone.

He Siheng’s first act upon rushing home was to grab clothes and head to the shower to cool down.

What the hell was up with his dick today? So damn spirited! It had gone down on the way to the car, but after smelling Tan Jing’s pheromones, it perked up uncontrollably again. Good thing the jacket had blocked it; he hadn’t embarrassed himself in front of Tan Jing a second time.

Before darting into the bathroom, He Siheng remembered Tan Jing had followed him in. He backtracked, slammed and locked his bedroom door, and warned, “My parents will be back soon. You stay in the bedroom and don’t wander, or if my dad sees you, I can’t guarantee there won’t be a murder in this house.”

Tan Jing laughed at his exaggeration. “Your dad hates me that much?”

He Siheng confirmed without hesitation, “He hates anyone surnamed Tan.”

With that, he ducked into the en-suite bathroom.

Soon, the sound of running water filled the air—drip-drip, evoking all sorts of thoughts.

Tan Jing pulled his gaze away, leaned against the edge of the desk, and leisurely surveyed the room.